Luminex and Nirvanix Open Up Mainframe Storage to the Cloud

Luminex Software, a virtual tape solutions vendor, and Nirvanix, a provider of cloud storage, have teamed up to provide a new cloud-based tape vaulting solution designed specifically for mainframe environments. As a result, the companies say, mainframe customers are no longer limited to open or distributed systems, and can securely store mainframe tape volumes in the Nirvanix Cloud Storage Network and access them globally.

“Mainframe customers really have a need for secure offsite vaulting of data either for archiving, getting data out of region, for compliance or other purposes,” Arthur Tolsma, CEO at Luminex, tells 5 Minute Briefing.

Beyond just a second, copy, Tolsma says customers often want a third copy of their data and sending it offsite either because the DR site is in the same region as their data center or they just want to have a third non-operational copy for compliance purposes.

Luminex has been working with Nirvanix to find a place where cloud storage options will fit in and has found that allowing customers to use it as a vault option in situations where they might consider making a tape and sending it offsite “is a perfect place” for the cloud solution, says Tolsma.

“The cloud option will, for the most part, be a third copy or potentially a second copy, and in general it will not be customers’ day-to-day read/write operational copy – but it is a way to get it offsite. They are used to spending money on a monthly basis to make the tapes and to have somebody store them, and so the business model of storage as a service already fits within the current budget plans,” Tolsma explains.

Importantly also, storage and access to the vaulted copies of tape data is not restricted to local or regional offsite physical tape vaults. Tape data can be stored then accessed from anywhere via the Nirvanix Cloud, which cost-effectively addresses business requirements to secure mission-critical data out-of-region from primary data center operations.

“Cloud is a very cost-effective way to store data and if you want to move data centers or access the data from a different part of the country or a different part of the world it is available, so there is a lot of extra confidence,” notes Tolsma.

Using CloudTAPE, data centers can leverage the Nirvanix Cloud Storage Network as a secure remote repository for critical data. Data stored with Nirvanix is quickly and easily saved at one or more secure, geographically dispersed locations, while remaining instantly accessible for compliance and business needs. Data is also encrypted in-flight and at rest for extreme levels of data protection and security. Luminex CloudTAPE can be utilized with any Nirvanix cloud storage services deployment options including public, hybrid and private.

The new solution will be available for all mainframe customers during the fourth quarter of 2012 and supports z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE, and S/390 operating systems.

To find out more about Luminex and its mainframe virtual tape solutions, visit www.luminex.com.